by Misi Stine, Environmental Educator and member of the MN Herpetological Society
Spring is a time of awakening for many animals from that long winter nap, which includes turtles, tortoises and terrapins, but for this article I will refer to them collectively as turtles. Soon we will start to see turtles moving from winter to summer habitats, and in May/June we will see females moving across the landscape to find “the perfect” place to lay their eggs. As turtles move around the landscape, some travel long distances, and they are often seen crossing roads to get to their intended destination. Unfortunately, many turtle species are on the decline, some at an alarming rate. There are several factors contributing to those declines. One significant cause is road mortality which is human-driven. Even small declines in a turtle population can lead to long-term downward trends.
So why should we care if turtles are on the decline?
Fundamentally we should be concerned with their survival simply because they exist. They are an ancient group of animals that have survived and evolved over 200 million years. Over the course of their existence, they have faced many challenges. Today of the 356 known species approximately 61% are endangered or extinct.
Turtles are of importance in the ecosystem in which they live. The trophic status they hold varies widely but makes them important parts of food webs in many ecosystems around the world. They range from omnivores to carnivores, while others are herbivores. Some species are even scavengers that clean up our ecosystems eating dead plants and animals.
They help energy flow, transferring it from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, providing food for other creatures.
Turtles cycle minerals like calcium and phosphorus.
Some species graze, disperse seeds, and disturb soil improving soil dynamics.
Through my participation at the Minnesota Herpetological Society, I have had the opportunity to engage in hands-on conservation projects, through road monitoring projects that demonstrate the mortality turtles face moving around the landscape. I have also observed a variety of social media posts featuring everyday people, and law enforcement, trying to help turtles cross roads. What I noticed, was that although well-intentioned, people did not always do it safely or as effectively as they could. While conducting research on educational materials that could help the public learn more about how to help turtles safely across the road, what I found was outdated materials and long videos that may not hold the attention of the audience. I decided that I could design and produce a video that would work with today’s social media platforms and the individuals who consume this content. As part of the project, I fundraised to cover the costs, and sought out a video production company to work with me to fulfill my vision.
The result was the Be a Turtle Hero project. It is a short video that teaches individuals the best practices for moving turtles across the road, thinking about safety, and not breaking the law. The video is posted on both Facebook and YouTube, search Be a Turtle Hero to find it. Feel free to share the link and spread the word, this video was produced so that it could be used wherever you find turtles, tortoises, and terrapins around the world that need help crossing the road. My goal is to recruit as many Turtle Heroes as possible and improving the chance for survival of turtles and contribute to their conservation in one small way.
References
Cureton, J. D. (2012). Hot moments and hot spots: Identifying factors explaining temporal and spatial variation in turtle road mortality. Journal of Wildlife Management 76(5), 1047-1052.
Gibbs JP, a. S. (2008). Trends in Sex Ratios of Turtles in the United State: Implications of Road Mortality. Conservation Biology 19(2), 552-556.
Helping Turtles Across the Road. (n.d.). Retrieved from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/reptiles_amphibians/helping-turtles-roads.html
Lovich JE, E. J. (2018). Where Have All the Turtles Gone, and Why does it Matter?. BioScience, biy095, 771-781.